Permutation lock



Dec. 1, 1936. E STONE 2,062,431

PERMUTATICN LOCK Filed April 18, 1 934 Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERMUTATION LOCK Application April 18, 1934, Serial No. 721,179

11 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to the type of permutation locks which are employed in connection with the doors of lockers and similar structures, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a lock of this type by means of which a dial of maximum size may be used upon a door of minimum size; and a further object of the invention is to provide a lock of this type which shall be simple in construction and particularly efficient in operation.

One form of a device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a face view of a portion of a set of lockers one of which is equipped with my improved lock.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a view on enlarged scale of a portion of a locker door equipped with my improved lock and with parts broken away to Show con struction.

Figure 4 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a View in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 55 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6-6 of Fig. 3 but on reduced scale and with parts broken away to show construction.

Figure '7 is a sectional view illustrating a way for changing the combination of the lock.

Figure 8 is a detail view looking into the rear 0 of the lock case.

In the acompanying drawing the numeral 1 denotes the front plate of a set of lockers comprising openings with doors 8 closing such openings, one of such doors being shown in Fig. l as equipped with my improved lock. A handle 9 is slidably mounted upon the door for the purpose of latching and unlatching the fastening for the door, such fastening being controlled by my improved look.

In prior structures, owing to the small space available on the front of the door, the use of a position with respect to the handle 9 and this has compelled the use of the smaller dial herei inbefore referred to. By the use of my improved lock I am enabled, without changing the position of the lock case and its mechanism, to make use of a large dial, the only change required in the standard equipment being embodied in the dial structure,,the lock case and its mechanism being undisturbed.

These prior structures embody-a bolt case It commonly constructed by bending metal at the edge of the door 8, as best shown in Fig. 5, such case extending from the top to the bottom of the door. A bolt 9 I of tubular form is slidably mounted within the case i ll, the handle 9 being secured at its upper and lower ends to the bolt by means of projections l2 which extend through slots in the door for the purpose of permitting sliding movement of the handle.

A retainer I3 is attached to the bolt within the opening therein, theoutturned end of the retainer projecting through a slot 14 in the wall of the bolt in position for its end to engage the edge of a slot l in the case it], thereby holding the bolt in its unlocked position. A catch l6 secured inside .of the frame or front plate 1 projects in position to enter the slots l4 and l5, the

upper edge of the slot I4 engaging within a notch in the catch to retain the door in its locked position, and as shown in Fig. 6. The bolt is held in its locked position by a lock bolt pivotally mounted within a lock case I! secured to the rear face of the door 8 as by means of threaded.

studs and nuts, the nose 18 of said lock bolt extending through a slot in the side of the lock case means to release the key plug for rotating movement. The lock bolt is also controlled in its movement by a set of tumblers rotatably mounted upon the key plug and heretofore operated in the usual manner by means of a dial mounted concentrically with said plugand through an opening in the center of which dial the key is inserted into the key plug.

As hereinbefore explained the structure thus far described is of old and well-known form, the key'within the key plug being made use of at any time to permit release of the nose on the locking bolt from engagement with the sliding bolt. The dial and tumblers are separately operated for the same purpose independently of the key.

In effecting my purpose and in order to enable the use of a large dial without changing the position of the key plug and the tumblers within the lock I pivotally mount my dial 22 upon a stud 23 projecting from a back plate 24 secured to the face of the door 8, as by means of threaded studs and nuts, and as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. A retaining ring 25 is fastened to the back plate in any suitable manner, said ring being undercut to receive a lip on the dial or on a part secured to the dial in a manner common to dial construction. A gear ring 26 is secured to the back of the dial in any suitable manner, in the structure herein shown this ring having the lip engaged by the ring 25, teeth 21 on the inner edge of the ring 26 meshing with teeth on a pinion 28 rotatably mounted upon the key plug 20. One of the tumblers 4| of a set of disk tumblers is rotated by the pinion 28, other tumblers not being shown, as they are of ordinary construction provided with interengaging lugs and also with notches, the latter of which are caused to register to enable the locking bolt to be thrown. This arrangement will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and for this reason a further and detaileddescription is omitted herein.

A hole 29 is formed through the dial 22, through which hole access may be had to the key slot in the plug 20. It will be understood that the locking bolt may be released for action by the use of a key at any time, whenever the dial is rotated to uncover the key plug, this arrangement being well understood by those skilled in the art and embodying a detent 48 movably mounted to enter the notches in disk tumblers when said notches are aligned by operation of the dial 22, the tumbler 4| comprising one of the set of tumblers and which is attached to the pinion 28, being shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing. The detent 40 is pivotally mounted on the lock bolt hereinbefore mentioned and when in its locking position, that is, disengaged from the notches in the tumblers, said detent has a dog 42 presented in its path of movement thereby preventing movement of the locking bolt and disengagement of its nose [8 from the bolt ll. However the dog 42 is secured to a slide which is connected for operation by the key plug 28, so that when said plug is turned by use of a key the dog is moved thereby permitting disengaging movement of said nose.

In the particular construction herein shown a positioning disk 36, of a more or less springy nature, is located back of the dial 22 and in contact therewith, this disk being held against rotation in any suitable manner as by lugs extending into holes in the back plate 24, and as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, said disk being in contact with the pinion 28. This pinion is secured to a sleeve 3| which extends through the back plate and door and into the lock case, the outermost tumbler of the set of tumblers hereinbefore referred to being secured to the inner end of said sleeve.

It will be understood that the pinion 28 is so timed in its rotation with respect to the gear ring 26 that the proper number of rotations will be imparted to the tumblers in the movements of the dial to effect the final unlocking positions of the tumblers as the dial is rotated to bring its graduation marks successively into registry with the pointer 33.

It will be noted that the gear ring 26 meshing with the pinion 28 imparts a faster rate of rotation to said pinion and the tumblers connected therewith. These tumblers must be rotated one or more complete rotations depending upon the number of tumblers employed and their positions relatively to the tumbler operating member as the pinion 28. In a permutation lock mechanism in common use three tumblers are employed and with these tumblers connected directly with the dial, the latter must be rotated in opposite directions a number of times, three complete rotations in one direction being required, two complete rotations in the opposite direction and one complete rotation in the same direction as the the stud 23 sufliciently to disengage the gear teeth 21 from the teeth of the pinion 28, and as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing. To this end an undercut recess is formed in the outer end of the knob 36 of the dial and a screw 3'! extends 'inwardly from this recess and is threaded at its inner end into the stud 23. A retaining or locking screw 38 is threaded at its inner end into the end of the screw 31, extending lengthwise within the stud 23. The screws 31 and 38 being loosened sufficiently to permit said movement of the dial 22, the flange on the retaining ring 25 will engage the lip on the gear ring, thereby limiting the outward movement of the dial to the extent shown in Fig. 7. A collapsible disk 39 is fitted to the recess 35 and is forced thereinto to tightly engage the undercut edge of said recess, said disk being removed before the screws 31 and 38 are loosened.

When it is desired to change the combination of the lock the disk 39 is pried out by means of any suitable tool, the screw 3'! is loosened to the extent shown in Fig. 7 and sufficiently to permit the teeth of the ring 26 to be disengaged from the teeth of the pinion 28. The dial may now be turned independently of the pinion to such extent, denoted by the graduations on the dial, as

the stud 23.

I claim:

1. A permutation lock including a supporting member, a plurality of tumblers rotatably supported by said member, each of said tumblers requiring at least a complete rotation to register one with another for unlocking operation, a notatably mounted dial, and a multiplying geared connection between said dial and tumblers to,increase the rate of movement of the tumblers relatively to that of said dial to place each of said tumblers in unlocking position by less than a complete rotation of said dial.

2 A-permutation lock including a supporting member, a pluralityoi tumblers rotatablyisupported by said-member, a rotatably mounted dial..-

a gear ring secured to said dial and having teeth on its inner edge, and a geared connection between the teeth on said ring and said tumblers for rotation of the latter.

3. A permutation lock including a rotatably mounted dial, a gear ring secured to said dial and having teeth on its inner edge, a supporting member having its axis located within the boundaries of said gear ring, a set of tumblers rotatably mounted on said supporting member, and a multiplying geared connection between said ring and tumblers and including a pinion located within the boundaries of said gear ring.

4. A permutation lock including a rotatably mounted dial having an opening between its axial center and its periphery, a gear ring secured to said dial and having teeth on its inner edge, a key plug having its axis within the boundaries of said gear ring and in position to be uncovered by said opening in the dial, locking mechanism operatively connected with said key plug, a set of tumblers rotatably supported by said key plug, and a geared connection between said ring and said tumblers and including a toothed driving member operatively connected with said tumblers.

5. In a permutation look, a toothed member rotatably mounted to operate a set of tumblers, a gear engaged with said toothed member, a stud, a dial to which said gear is secured, said dial being rotatably mounted for sliding movement on said stud to permit disengaging movement of the teeth of said gear from the teeth of said member, and a screw extending into said stud to limit outward movement of said dial.

6. In a permutation lock, a toothed member rotatably mounted to operate a set of tumblers, a gear engaged with said toothed member, a stud, a dial to which said gear is secured, said dial being rotatably mounted for sliding movement on said stud to permit disengaging movement of the teeth of said gear from the teeth of said member, and means to limit outward movement of said dial on said stud.

'7. In a permutation look, a toothed member rotatably mounted to operate a set of tumblers, a gear engaged with said toothed member, a dial to which said gear is secured, said dial having a hub projecting therefrom with a recess in its end,

a stud on which said dial is rotatably mounted, a screw projecting into said stud to limit outward movement of the dial, and a disk forced into said recess to cover the head of said screw.

8. In a permutation lock, a toothed member rotatably mounted to operate a set of tumblers, a gear engaged with said toothed member, a dial to which said gear is secured, a stud on which said dial is slidably and rotatably mounted, fastening means for retaining said dial against sliding movement on said stud, and means for covering said fastening means.

9. A lock including key operated mechanism with an opening for insertion of a key, tumblers to control movement of a member of said mechanism, and a rotatably mounted dial operatively connected with said tumblers to control operation thereof, said dial overlying said key opening which is located between the center and periphery of the dial and having a hole positioned to uncover said key opening for access thereto.

10. In combination with a lock adapted to be secured on a closure and having an opening for insertion of a, key, said lock including a key plug accessible through an opening in said closure, tumblers rotatably mounted on said key plug, locking members operatively connected with said tumblers for operative control thereby, and a dial having its axis removed from the axis of said key plug and having a geared connection with said tumblers, said dial having an opening between its center and periphery for access of a key to said key plug.

11. In a permutation lock adapted for attachment to a door, a plurality of tumblers rotatably supported on the inside of said door, each of said tumblers requiring at least a complete rotation to register one with another for unlocking operation, a rotatably mounted dial located on the outside of said door, and a multiplying geared connection located on the outside of said door and connecting said dial and tumblers to increase the rate of movement of the tumblers relative to that of said dial to impart more than a complete rotation to each tumbler for placing each tumbler in an unlocking position by less than a complete rotation of the dial.

ELMER B. STONE. 

